LIVE Nutrition: Emotional and Intuitive Eating

Shira Hirshberg, a registered and licensed Dietitian Nutritionist with All Foods Nutrition says to curb emotional eating, it’s better to think of eating in terms of appetite and hunger.

“People often blame themselves for being weak and not having willpower,” Hirshberg says, “when really they aren't meeting their physiological needs for energy or carbs.”

Hirshberg says appetite includes eating because you are experiencing an emotion, like happiness, sadness or boredom, but also includes things like your environment.

To manage both appetite and hunger, Hirshberg says practicing to eat intuitively can help.

“Intuitive eating focuses on learning to eat in response to your body signals and not denying yourself foods that you crave, but simply eating them when it serves you and you are actually hungry, making sure you are getting enjoyment from them,” Hirshberg says.